Office of Professional Development and Continuing Education Program Expanding: Offering CEUs for Nurses and Launching New Website

The UK College of Social Work Office of Professional Development and Continuing Education Program has recently expanded to offer CE credit for nurses in Kentucky. Courses include cutting-edge programs in areas such as mental health services and interventions, substance abuse, domestic violence, child maltreatment, management, HIV/AIDS, clinical supervision, and ethics.

The Continuing Education Program will also be launching new online trainings from our new website at ceu.uky.edu. During the transition you will still be able to see the exciting training opportunities coming this summer at uksocialworkonline.com.

Don't miss out on our upcoming July and August workshops:

Understanding Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma,

Social Work Ethics for Licensure Renewal,

Moral Injury in Returning Combat Veterans,

Clinical Decision Making and Evidenced Based Practice,

HIV/AIDS: It Can Happen to You, Understanding Domestic Violence, Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse, andLCSW Supervision According to KY Law.

The UK College of Social Work Office of Professional Development and Continuing Education Program provides life-long learning opportunities for social workers and other health professionals, including psychologists, nurses, addiction professionals, licensed professional counselors, and licensed marriage & family therapists, to enhance their knowledge and skills and to help them meet state licensing requirements.

For more information, contact Jessica Morris, Continuing Education Program Coordinator.

"No Such Thing As a Bad Kid!"

The Adoption Support for Kentucky (ASK) and Resource Parent Mentor programs collaborated to bring international speaker, author, and prominent youth care specialist, Charlie Applestein, to Lexington on March 1st to present his training, No Such Things As a Bad Kid. A detailed description of this training is provided below. It provided Adoptive Parent Liaisons and Resource Parent Mentors with an understanding of the importance of strength-based practice, as well as with specific approaches to utilize and share with other resource parents caring for foster and adopted children throughout the Commonwealth.

The College of Social Work sponsored a version of this training on February 28th for professionals and educators. It was attended by 49 CoSW students, faculty, staff, adjuncts and field agency supervisors, as well as 27 community partners including representatives from the Bluegrass Community Action Council, Arbor Youth Services (formerly MASH), and several members of the Children's Alliance.

Charlie Applestein presents his training

No Such Thing As a Bad Kid! Strength-based practice is an emerging approach to guiding at-risk children, youth and families that is exceptionally positive and inspiring. Its focus is on strength-building rather than flaw-fixing. It begins with the belief that every individual has or can develop strengths and utilize past successes to mitigate problem behavior and enhance functioning. This presentation will highlight many of the key principles and techniques of this transforming modality. Areas covered include: What is strength-based practice & the power of a positive attitude & culture; the effects of trauma and positive emotions on the brain; strength-based communication principles and techniques - including reframing, using solution focused questions, positive predicting and inspirational metaphors; self-esteem building & activities for at-risk children and youth; how to help cognitively inflexible young people; the importance of being family friendly; why, how, and when to use incentive plans; the importance of controlling personal emotions (i.e. managing number one first); respectful limit setting; and a host of creative cognitive behavioral strategies.

Medically Fragile Annual Training

Another successful Medically Fragile Annual training was held March 27-28, 2014, at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort. More than 180 DCBS and private agency resource parents attended the two day training, which was one of the largest to date. The Medically Fragile Training Program was honored to have 18 presenters donate their time and expertise to train on a variety of topics. To see the program containing the training topics and presenters, please click here.

For more information, contact Lisa Casebier, Medically Fragile Program Coordinator.

Opening plenary session at the Medically Fragile Annual Training

Appreciating Foster and Adoptive Families

The Training Resource Center's partnership with the Department for Community Based Services expanded this year to include efforts to recognize those who care for Kentucky's most valuable resource, its children. The TRC is coordinating nine appreciation events on behalf of DCBS, in each of its service regions. These events highlight the outstanding service that resource parents provide to families and children in need.

The TRC is pleased to be involved in honoring the work and commitment of Kentucky's resource parents.From venue selection, to the design of the program booklet, and everything in between, the TRC strives to make sure the appreciation is in the details. Our goal is for those foster and adoptive families who attend to walk away knowing that both the Department for Community Based Services and the University of Kentucky appreciate what they do every day to provide safe, loving homes for children in need.

Two Rivers Service Region's Foster Family of the Year Award Winner Sheila Payne with Commissioner Theresa C. James and SRA Joey Minor

The University of Kentucky College of Social Work's Training Resource Center (UK TRC) is dedicated to providing training, technical assistance, service, and evaluation to professionals and caregivers working to improve the well-being of families, children, and communities.

University of Kentucky College of Social Work Training Resource Center One Quality Street Suite 700 Lexington, KY 40507